MANSFIELD — Two men accused of murder in separate incidents last week are scheduled for preliminary hearings Thursday at 1 p.m. in Mansfield Municipal Court.
Jordan J. Skoog, 28, 6968 State Route 546, Bellville, is charged with murder in the shooting death of Austin Smiley, 19, of New London, at 1665 Frontier Trail in Mifflin Township.
Cody Lutz, 31, of 478 Parkview St., Mansfield, is charged with aggravated murder in the death of Omar Brown, 90, in the victim’s residence at 1831 Middle Bellville Rd., Apt. 3, in the Morchester Villa senior citizens community.
Bond was set at $1 million cash on each case during arraignments before magistrates last week in municipal court.
Both men entered not guilty pleas and both cases have been assigned to Judge Jerry Ault with pre-trials scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Skoog has retained defense attorney Robert Whitney. Defense attorney Bernie Davis has been appointed to represent Lutz.
In Smiley’s death, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a 911 call Wednesday at 10:44 p.m. The caller said the victim was shot once in the head with a handgun and that people at the residence had been drinking.
Skoog was taken into custody, charged on Thursday and appeared in court on Friday morning.
In the other case, Mansfield police responded to a 911 call on Tuesday at 8:12 a.m. and found Brown dead in his apartment. Detectives said information led to the arrest of Lutz in Medina County at 11:47 a.m.
Lutz was arraigned on Wednesday, according to court records.
